It's Cold Outside, Sasori
by cresent-lunette
Summary: On a long mission to the Land of Snow, Sasori reveals that his feelings, both physical and emotional are returning without any reasonable explination. What's Deidara going to do? SasoDei, DeiSaso, lime yaoi.
1. To the Land of Snow

It's Cold Outside, Sasori 

I start to shiver as I realize how cold it is outside. Well, I should have known better… Wearing fishnets and thin socks certainly won't keep me warm in mid-December, despite the fact that I'm wearing a red and black jacket as well.

I really don't want to be on this mission. Trudging in a half foot of snow isn't the best thing, and the fact that I can't travel on my pieces of art – by which, I mean my infamous clay eagles and such – doesn't help maintain my body temperature. Sasori no Danna can't feel a thing, since he turned himself into a puppet many years ago, so he can't feel anything at all – even strong emotions and such.

Kind of a pity, too. I think he knows of my strong feelings for him, but they're slowly fading away. Thankfully enough. However, they flare up whenever my mind trails to him, wondering what his true form looks like. I'd never seen him without his Hiruko puppet shield.

"Deidara."

I look up, startled. "What?"

"Never mind."

"Whatever."

Sasori no Danna left me to my thoughts yet again. He never was one to converse much. Always kept to himself, locked himself in his living quarters, working on his strange puppets. Those puppets he makes fascinates me. He makes them from actual humans, which I guess gives him an advantage. The one thing about those puppets is that they can retain their signature chakra and jutsu, unlike a puppet made from plain old wood.

My feet break the silence as I step in the white cold. I wrap my arms around myself, trying to retain heat. I bite my bottom chapped lip, thinking of something to say to break the uncomfortable cold. The mouths on my hands are cold too, their teeth chattering like the mouth in my head. I make a mental note to complain to Leader-sama as soon as we get back to headquarters.

Now I realize that Sasori is behind me. How long was I in the lead? I stop, trying to be courteous, and allow Sasori to be in front. Besides, since he's wearing Hiruko, he left a wide trail cleared of snow. Why didn't I remember this before? If I had just followed him, it would have made my current situation a whole lot easier. My feet wouldn't be frostbitten if I had thought of this sooner.

We walked in dead silence for the longest time. I finally worked up the courage to speak to Sasori, simply to break the unnerving silence.

"Um, Sasori no Danna…"

"What?"

"Why are you always wearing Hiruko-san, un?"

"I've told you a thousand times before… I'm much more intimidating in this form than my original form. How many times must you ask?"

"Okay, sheesh, I was just wondering… Keep your pants on, un…"

I roll my eyes, wondering why I even said anything. Maybe this damned trip would be a lot better if I had someone like Itachi or Zetsu for my partner. Maybe they would care a little more than this empty shell of an Akatsuki member…

"Deidara, we're taking a break right here."

I look up, freezing my ass off and my nose running a little. "Hmm? We're finally stopping to take a break? I thought you'd never say so, un."

I clear a patch of dead grass clear of snow. I could see my breath in small puffs of translucent fog that fades away in an instant. I try to entertain myself by concentrating on my breath, but seeing Sasori through my misty breath didn't help much. So I decide to mess with his mind a little.

I scoop up a cold handful of white cold, compressing it into a very rough spherical form. Aiming lazily, I toss the snowball in Sasori's direction. Unfortunately for me, my aim was a little more true than I had anticipated, and it hit him in the very center of his large puppet shell's back.

Sasori flinches slightly at the small impact. I suppress a chuckle as I reach for more snow, but I pause as I see Sasori turn slowly, almost menacingly, in my direction. I smile sheepishly, waving my freezing hand at him whilst sticking out the tongue on my hand at him. The living puppet shakes his head at me, exasperated.

Wearily, I stand up, brushing any snow off of my black jacket. I know something is troubling Sasori no Danna. So, I decide to try and figure out what's wrong with him.

"Sasori no Danna?" I address him, trying to sound calm. He looks up at me, staring me straight in the eye.

"What do you want, Deidara-kun?"

"Is anything wrong?"

"No, not really." He turns away from me, like how he always does. This is how I can tell that something is definitely on his mind.

"Sasori, I know something is wrong. Now, can you please tell me what's wrong," I sit down next to him at this point, "so I can help you out, un? I don't like to see you acting all defensive like this. It… hurts me. When I see you hurt, you know."

He stares hard at the spindly brush in front of him, a little farther than an arm's length away. He sighs heavily, knowing that I'm watching him and I wouldn't stop until he tells me what's on his mind.

"Fine. I'll tell you. But…"

I look at him expectantly.

"You must promise to not tell another soul. Got it, Deidara-kun?"

I nod, giving him my full attention. He'd never said anything like this before, so, naturally, I'm curious.

He takes a few moments before he starts, collecting his thoughts. "Well… I've been thinking a lot lately. You know that we haven't had that much going on lately, what with waiting for new missions and whatnot."

I nod in encouragement, egging him to elaborate.

"And… you know how I'm not supposed to feel anything… right?" I nod once more. "But I feel… something inside me that I haven't ever felt before…"

Now I look at him in confusion. Sasori feeling something? He's usually so emotionless that it's unbelievable, but I suppose I have to believe it if it's coming out of his sweet mouth himself.

"What do you mean, Sasori?"

"I don't know. It's hard to explain. It's like… butterflies in my stomach, I suppose. I can feel pain sometimes too, along with pleasure now. I don't know how it's possible, but it's happening. Slowly but surely, Deidara."

I look to the side, trying to keep my mind focused. My feelings for him are strong indeed, that much I know he knows… is he trying to tell me something? Well, why else would he be telling me he can feel things now…?

He looks down, face turning pink. "This feeling in my heart – I can't explain it with words. It increases whenever I'm around you, that I have noticed." He looks at me straight in the eye. "I think… Deidara… I think I love you."

Those three words. Those three little words impact me more than the satisfaction of blowing up a large village ever could, more than an exceptionally wonderful orgasm, more than a boulder crashing down on me. My heart skipped several beats and leapt into my throat, because I had never even thought that Sasori would use the word "love" in his vocabulary, much less say those three little words to me.

I gulped, my mouth dry. I want to say something, but the words won't come. Sasori turns away, apparently embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. Let's get going, then." He made to get up, but I grabbed his arm. I don't want him to leave.

"No… don't leave. Please don't leave. Do anything but that." A small smile was etched on my soft lips, the trace of a teardrop at my eye. "I want you to stay, Sasori."

He stares at me for a few moments before sitting back down. I'm still smiling, trying to force back my tears.

"Why are you crying, Deidara?"

I didn't realize that tears had already escaped my tear ducts. I wipe away the salty drop, figuring out which words to use.

"I guess I'm crying because I'm happy, Sasori."

He gazes at me in disbelief. I know what he's thinking: how could someone love – or even appreciate – an empty puppet such as he? I nod, confirming the fact that he is indeed very much appreciated.

"The truth is, Sasori… I've been in love with you for some time now. I didn't know how to tell you, because you were so distant with me, un…" I've completely forgotten about the cold now. Nothing mattered but this moment, and I didn't want it spoiled.

"I was distant because I was trying to cut off these feelings. It was all I knew to do, I didn't know how to tell you either, Deidara."

I chuckle, wiping away the frozen tears. "You do realize, Sasori, that I haven't really seen your true form? You're always traveling in Hiruko, and I'm curious to see how you look…"

Sasori chuckled. "Maybe I'll show you tonight."

I nod as I stand up, stretching and feeling satisfaction from finally hearing the few words I have always wanted to hear from Sasori's mouth. I want to embrace him in a close hug, but his puppet is too big and I wouldn't be hugging the actual puppeteer anyway.

---

Our mission to the Land of Snow is taking longer than I had anticipated. We traveled three days at least, on foot while remaining undetected, in knee-deep piles of powdered ice. I'm also low on provisions: trying to stay warm in freezing conditions makes one hungry. Sasori no Danna doesn't need to eat at all. Poor guy – he must miss food.

My arms are folded tightly across my chest. Retaining my body heat isn't easy, especially in a blizzard. I want to ask Sasori if there's any room inside Hiruko to shelter myself from the unwaveringly merciless cold, but I doubt there's any room. So I keep my mouth shut.

And it's now that I realize that Sasori hadn't shown me his true form yet. I suppose it's because of the blizzards. We had to stop whenever they flared, and travel as much as we could when they died down even slightly. So, we haven't really had a chance to stop and take a relaxing break for three days or so now, and that's why we're taking so long.

"Sasori!" I call through the howling wind.

He looks back at me. "What?"

"We need to stop! I can't travel like this for long, you know!"

So we stop after we've found a small cave in a huge rock formation. Just enough room for me to make a small fire easy enough to handle and for two people to move around very comfortably. The fire does indeed help me warm up. I wipe at my nose, which is just a little runny from the freezing cold.

"So, Deidara."

My back is turned to him, so I can't see what he's doing. I 'hmmph' in response.

"Do you want to see me without Hiruko on?"

I turn my head slightly, curious. "Hai, are you finally taking off that bulky shell of yours, un?"

"Turn around and find out for yourself."

I twist myself around. My eyes widen at the beautiful sight before me.

Clad in our classic Akatsuki jacket, a small figure stood before me. Sasori had thick reddish brown hair, with brownish eyes to match. A slim build, he seemed very durable yet fragile, which was very attractive to me. His fingernails were painted the same shade of purple as mine. It was odd to see someone that I'd known for a long while, yet seeming like I'm meeting him for the first time. It's hard to explain.

I stood up. Slowly and cautiously, I stepped towards the red-headed boy. My eyes drank up the beautiful sight, soaking up his smooth sculpted face and memorizing each square centimeter of space on his delicate countenance.

Standing not even a yard away from him, I smiled at him. He looked up at me with ever-blank eyes, yet so shiny at the same time. His lips formed a gentle curve as he looked up at me.

I couldn't take it anymore. I reached out without warning and enveloped him in a tight hug, swallowing up his delicate body in a loving embrace. Oh how I've wanted to do that for so long. He was surprisingly light as I swept him up – I picked his figure up without any trouble at all. Either he was very light or I was stronger than I thought.

He wrapped his thin arms around my waist as I held him. I breathed in his scent. He smelled of pine and wood chips – a very relaxing scent. I wonder what I smell like to him..? Can he even smell anything? He _did_ say that his senses were coming back…

Reluctantly, I let go, my feet so cold that I can't feel them anymore. I grin at him once more as I go sit by the dwindling fire. Feeding it more dried twigs and broken off branches, I ponder what I have just seen.

To my surprise, Sasori sat next to me a few moments after I sat down. He leaned against me, closing his eyes, and I relax. I thought for a wild second there that he was going to pounce on me or turn me into a puppet or something. Sasori… well, I'm going to have to get used to him being this way. It's going to take some time, but I think I can manage.


	2. Adopting a new identity

We've finally reached the Land of Snow. I never thought we would ever get there, what with all the blizzards and other miscellaneous obstacles taking up our time, and time is necessary to our mission. Lucky thing we left a few days earlier than Leader-sama had requested. Otherwise our hides would be tanned by now.

Leader had assigned us to assassinate a man, named Atasuke Kamata, but we haven't been given enough information about the man to even find him. Sasori has come up with a plan to find out more information about him. We're to disguise ourselves as friendly travelers, simply looking for a friend of a 'friend' to retrieve a valuable object taken from our 'friend.'

Before Sasori and I head into the village where Leader-sama told us Kamata lived, we had to stop and disguise ourselves. I kept my hair down, wore some strange blue-green outfit that matched my eyes, and adopted the name Dayu, whilst Sasori dressed as a younger boy – since his body was smaller than mine and he looked younger – and was clad in brownish red. He picked the name Satoru. We purposefully chose those names as such so they wouldn't be difficult to remember.

Sasori made me take off my removable camera from my left eye before we entered the village. I'd forgotten to take it off; hurriedly I stashed it in our packs, smiling sheepishly at Sasori. He smiled back, blowing me away with that beautiful smile of his.

We checked each other over, making sure we weren't recognizable – which seemed to take forever, now that I think about it – before we finally entered our desired destination.

The watch at the gate stopped us. "Names and identification, please."

My stomach lurched. I didn't realize that he would have asked for identification. I glance at Sasori, and I smile at the guard.

To my great surprise, Sasori holds out two small identification cards. When did he make those? Maybe his wooden body can do more than just carry weapons.

The guard lets us pass, nodding and handing Sasori the identification cards. I heave a huge sigh of relief as I pat Sasori on the back.

"Sasori, there is more to you than meets the eye…"

At that, Sasori hit the back of my head. I wince as I remember what I'm supposed to call him.

"Sorry, Satoru. I-I forgot."

"I'm sure you did, Dayu."

We find the nearest ramen shop, seeking shelter from the cold as we walk through the icy streets. I need food and warmth, which Sasori probably can't provide, so we go through the regular drill. Stop at the food shop, order some food, and make small talk. Work into a pleasant conversation, and ask about something in particular in town – in our case, asking about Kamata.

"Good evening." The shopkeeper smiles warmly at Sasori and I as we take our seats. I respond by exchanging smiles and give her my adopted name.

"Good evening to you too, ma'am. I'm Dayu, and this is my cousin, Satoru. We're travelers who happened to be in the area, so we decided to stop by, to visit a friend of a friend, un."

"Oh, I see."

So we talked as I ate. At one point she inquired why Sasori/Satoru wasn't eating anything, and he responded with a simple, "I'm not hungry, plus I'm a vegetarian – I don't eat meat, nor do I like ramen much."

I finish my bowl of steaming ramen. I've scalded my tongue a few times, which didn't feel pleasant on my frozen tongue. Which brings me to the subject of hiding the mouths in the palms of my hands. Not easy, I'll tell you that, because if it lets out that I have a few extra mouths then my identity might be revealed.

After we've gathered as much information as we safely could from the shopkeepers, we headed out, in search of an inn to stay the night. It's not pleasant to sleep in the freezing cold – we wanted to sleep in a nice warm bed tonight.

We settle for a small place at the edge of town. We decide on just one room, since it would be suspicious if I didn't spend the night with my 'cousin.' Sasori didn't seem to have a problem with it.

I place our traveling pack on the only bed in the room. I glance at Sasori as he flops down on the bed, his arms eagle-spread across the sheets and his eyes closed.

We sit with nothing to do for what seemed like an endless amount of time. I glance at the clock, then glance outside. It's dark, but it was only five in the afternoon.

"Sasori?"

He grunts in response.

"Do you think we should go into the main room at the inn to try and gather more information, un? We need to know more about this guy. I mean, we know that he's a well-known trader, and we know that he ships goods like produce."

Sasori opens his eyes. "I think we can conclude that our target is a rival of our client… yeah, let's go into the bar and see what the locals have to offer.

"Wait. How old are you supposed to be? Seventeen?"

"No, around twenty or so. That's what I put on my identification card. I put you as twenty-seven."

"Do I really look that old?"

"No, you look your age."

"I don't believe you, un."

"Well, let's go into the bar. Take your card."

"Stop changing the subject."

"No. Let's go."

I roll my eyes at him. Sulking out of the room, I fold my arms across my chest. I follow his delicate figure down the hallway, down the steps, and into the inn diner.

We sit at the bar table. I order some sake as I take my seat, sitting next to someone on purpose. Sasori followed my lead, taking the empty seat on the other side of me. I shift around in the stool as I make myself comfortable, thinking of how to make small talk.

I notice that it's a woman I chose to sit next to. She was reading a book, as well as eating a plate of Rangoon. I clear my throat, and decide to ask her what she was reading because the cover seemed interesting.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but could you please tell me which book you're reading, un?"

She looks up, startled. Her eyes meet mine, and I smile softly at her. She checks the cover of her book, and holds it up to me.

" 'The Tale of the Hare'? Sounds interesting. What's it about?"

So we talked from there. Her name was Mae, and she wasn't to my picky tastes at all – to be more specific, I didn't like her at all. I couldn't stand her – she wasn't pretty, she had no appreciation for art, and the book she was reading seemed extremely boring. Her voice was monotone, and she didn't look at you eye-to-eye, which is very dishonest, in my opinion. Every so once in a while, Sasori would elbow me to remind me of our goal, to keep it short. I drank a little as we talked, and it soon became clear to me that she'd started to like me. As soon as I realized this, I got straight to the point.

Kamata worked in a warehouse nearby, apparently, and was related to Mae somehow. I think it was a third cousin once removed or something. She gave us his exact location, and we learned that he needed chefs or servants for hire. I glance at Sasori, and silently we nod in agreement: get a temporary job.

We head back to our room. Mae tried following me to my room, wanting to 'talk' some more. I shook her off, though, with Sasori's assistance – we told her we had only one bed, and that I was gay to begin with. Discouraged, she resumed reading her idiotic book and ignored me.

Finally rid of that woman, I close the door behind me. Sasori and I sit on the creaking bed next to each other, discussing our plans for tomorrow. We must assassinate our target within twenty days, and we had eighteen days left in our limit. We had no time to spare, so we decided that in the morning we would visit the warehouse, claiming to look for a temporary job for enough money for a trip back to our homeland.

Time slowly creeps along as we talk. We've changed the subject a long time ago – now we're talking about our preferred forms of art. He thinks that art lasts forever, like his human puppets, but I think that true art is fleeting, lasting for only a moment. Just like my clay creations. I really don't mind that he thinks differently, really. I'm just glad that he's finally opening up.

My curiosity takes the better of me. I finally ask the question that's been burning my tongue since that time we pulled over to the side of the road.

"Sasori… is it true that you can feel things now? You're not pulling my leg, un?"

He looks at me, a confused look in his glassy eyes. "Of course, Deidara-kun."

I cock my head to one side, gazing at him curiously. Experimentally, I reach out with my hand and lick the side of his cheek. "Can you feel that?"

He screws up his face. "Yes, I felt that. It was warm and wet. Kind of unpleasant, in a sense."

I smirk in satisfaction. I pinch his side, and he jumps. He definitely felt that, I know for sure.

An idea dawns on me. I chuckle throatily as I slowly approach him. I lean towards him, my fingers outstretched. Sasori leans away from me, but it's too late; I pounce on him, tickling him and making him laugh so hard that he was gasping for breath.

I continued my assault a few moments after he recovered. He was prepared this time, though. He started tickling me, and, being as ticklish as I am, I couldn't help but curl up and try to make him stop. We wrestled, we attacked, and, amidst the confusion, we fell off the bed. I found Sasori on top of me, turning as red as a beet. I could feel the blood rushing to my face as well, making me turn red as I radiated heat.

We stared into each other's eyes for several moments. I brought my hand up to his face, stroking it with my thumb. I was cautious this time to not lick him. I wanted Sasori, I realized, as I caressed his smooth cool face. He cleared his throat nervously, smiling sheepishly, obviously feeling awkward.

Just when he didn't expect it, I pushed him off and flipped him onto his back. Oh, I was ever so tempted to get on top of him and start kissing him, but I didn't want to rush things. After all, he'd never really been in a relationship before. I don't want to scare him away.

So, I decide to get back up and brush myself off. I glance at the clock. We've been talking for a long time… because we started talking around seven and it's now ten thirty. I stretch and yawn, realizing how tired I am, and flop on the bed. I realized with a pang: I need to get ready for bed, which meant undressing in front of Sasori. I can feel myself turning red again.

Normally I wouldn't be bothered by this fact. I'd done it a few times before, but that was only stripping off my shirt. We've never shared a bed before, and I tend to not sleep in anything at all. I have no clue what I'd sleep in now.

Which brings me to a new thing to wonder about. Did Sasori keep those vital parts, the things that defines a man? Or is he a puppet all the way? I want to ask him, but that's too personal and I don't want to get into his intimate life just yet.

I wait a few minutes before sitting up. I decide to just get it over with and strip down. Sasori was sitting on the floor, criss-cross, glancing at me as I remove my satin garments. I can see him turning red from the corner of my eye. I turn away, my own face turning red once more.

Down to nothing, I pull back the sheets and climb in. Damn, those sheets are cold… I start to shiver as I wait for Sasori to do something. He just sits there.

I flop onto my back. "Hey, Sasori."

"What?"

"Do you sleep at all?"

"Not very much, since I don't need it, but every so once in a while, yes, I do sleep."

"Oh."

I blow a bit of my blonde hair out of my face. I heave a sigh, wondering what to say next. I turn my head in his direction, since the lit lamp is behind him.

"When are you coming to bed, un?"

"I don't know. I wasn't planning on sleeping tonight. If you want me to, though, then I will."

"You don't have to if you don't want to."

My mind trails and I can feel blood rushing to my length. I bend my knees and sit up, trying to cover it up. It works, but not very well. I just hope Sasori doesn't get up and see before I relax.

Unfortunately, he does. He starts to undress as well, and I try my best to advert my eyes, but I can't help but wonder. My eyes wander over him, but I don't see much because he flicks the lamp off and crawls into bed.

I lay back down, my knees still bent. If anything, this is arousing me even more… Sasori's naked body next to mine… it does things to a man, you know. It almost seems like Sasori is doing this on purpose.

I shift around, laying on my side so my back is to him. His back is to me too, so I decide to experiment a little. I wiggle closer to him, trying to touch my back just a little to his. We meet, and he doesn't retaliate. I sigh, content, as I close my eyes to try to get some sleep. The last thing I hear before I'm enveloped in slumber is this:

"Good night, Deidara-kun. Sleep well."

---

"Wake up."

"Nnngh."

"Wake up, Deidara!"

"Mmmph… just five more minutes…"

"No, wake up NOW!"

Rude awakening, indeed. Sasori gives me a smack on my temple, making me shoot up in alarm and pain.

"What was that for?!"

"I've been trying to wake you up for ten minutes! If you don't hurry up, we'll be late for applying for that job!"

"What time is it now, un?" I glance at the clock. Eight twenty. Realizing what time I was supposed to wake, I shoot out of bed and grab my guise. Getting ready in the mornings doesn't take as long as it normally does, since I don't have to put my hair up. I still have to brush it, though. I don't care what anyone says about my hair – I love it just the way it is.

We take naught five minutes to get ready. We rush out the door, locking it behind us after leaving a note on the door saying that we desired no entry for cleaning. After all, we left our pack in there and we don't want anyone discovering our Akatsuki cloaks.

The nipping air bites my nose as we step outside. Immediately I freeze up, forgetting exactly how icy it was outside in the Land of Snow. Sasori glances in my direction, checking if the coast is clear. He nods, giving the okay, and we head off in the direction of the warehouse.

_Seventeen days. Not much time…_

Not much time, though it may seem like it. Leader-sama was ever so gracious to give us such an amount of time… we usually only received ten days to do the deed. We need to get the mission done as soon as possible, as clean as possible and as undetectable as possible.

Now that I think about it, I wonder where Sasori put Hiruko. He probably put the old empty shell somewhere in the seemingly confining evergreen forest, where most people don't travel.

We move in silence for a little while, glancing at each other from time to time. I'm relaxed, confident about our current task. I'm to act as a submissive servant, under the command of Sasori. Sasori pretends to hear of Kamata needing servants, and offers his best servant to gain the favor of the infamous trader. I, in the mean time, plays the happy little part of the kind servant. Little does he know that we've planned to poison his feed, then leave without warning.

The poison that Sasori concocted is certainly one of a kind. It takes three days to take effect, and once its lethal symptoms are detected it's too late to save the victim. Brilliant solution, if I do say so myself… the perfect assassination weapon of choice.

Now we're standing outside of the warehouse. It's _much_ larger than I had expected. Standing about thirty meters tall (or, as some prefer to say, about ninety feet) and the metallic surface reflecting the blindingly bright sunlight, we make our way towards the building. It's hard to see in all this white – the snow mirroring the sun makes it difficult enough to see.

The building is warm. Immediately color flushes to my face, that strange sensation I get whenever I come in from any cold snap. Our footsteps echo in the long decorated hallway, our eyes drinking in the embellishments with care. Clearly this man is not lacking any money, nor did he have any artistic taste in décor whatsoever. I stick my tongue out in disgust, making a small noise to illustrate my expression.

We walk a little more. I'm bored by now, and my hands are just itching to mould a small work of art and blow up the entire building. But I must stick to the plan, and stick to the plan I shall.

A long time passes as confusing activities endure. Basically, I get the job. Sasori had to talk to a few people, and I had to act all quiet and whatnot, but I got the job nonetheless. Exactly what we wanted.


	3. I Want You, Sasori no Danna

"Dayu! Bring me something to drink; my throat is parched."

I heave a sigh. Scribbling down specifics for his drink, I argue with myself in my head. Each night is the same thing: Do whatever Kamata commands, head straight to my sleeping quarters, and sleep. Then wake up and do the same thing over again. I haven't had a single opportunity to drug his drink with Sasori's poison. Kamata hadn't trusted me with his food yet, and this is the first time that he's sent me to the kitchens for something.

"Yes, Kamata-sama." I bow out of artificial respect, then I scuttle off to the kitchens.

My first opportunity. We've got only seven days left. I haven't had a chance as of late to update Sasori, so I'm sure that he's dancing on his toes. I slide my hand in my pocket, grasping the small bottle of that special concoction.

The kitchens are steaming with scents that made my stomach claw at my insides. I find the main chef, and ask him where I go to ask for a drink for Kamata-sama.

"Ask one of those cooks over there," he says, pointing with his two-pronged fork. I look in the direction he gestured towards and make way for the said cooks.

I give them Kamata-sama's orders. My hand still in my pocket, I carefully undo the cork in the opening of the bottle. I hold it by the neck, careful to not spill any in my pocket. It'd be a catastrophe if I spilled even a drop, because all is necessary to be sure of his death.

Walking out the door with his drink in hand, I haste in pouring in the clear liquid. Odorless and colorless, the poison is virtually undetectable.

Attempting to hide a smirk I place the drink in his hand. He brings the goblet to his fat lips, and I try to keep my cool as he downs the vexed beverage. He wipes his ugly mouth on his sleeve as he hands me the emptied glass, and I bow. Our long-anticipated deed had been accomplished, our purpose served.

---

"Psst! Sasori no Danna!" I hiss through the wintry air, searching for my partner in crime.

Almost instantly a smallish dark figure appears around the corner of the building. His features were illuminated by the bright moonlight, giving him an attractive yet eerie appearance.

I felt my body suddenly being pulled, as if by invisible strings, towards the child-like silhouette. Now I realize that Sasori is putting his chakra strings to use… I've momentarily become a human puppet. It was a slightly exhilarating yet frightening thought and experience.

I stop short in front of the live puppet. I look down into his glassy reddish-brown eyes, and I murmur, "The deed is done."

He smiles that smile of his, the smile that captured my heart without the need of strings. Since I'm absorbed in his smile, we stand there, motionless, for a few moments. Not standing the tension any longer, I pick Sasori up into a tight embrace. I nuzzle my face into the crook of his neck, seeming warmer than usual, savoring that pine scent I've missed for so long.

"Okay, okay, Deidara-kun! Don't make a scene; we need to get away before you're caught. Before _we're_ caught…"

I release, thankful that the dark atmosphere and my hair could cover my red face.

With that, we shuffle away in silence from the large building, leaving nothing but footprints and the poison that works its morbid magic.

Ten minutes later, we enter that shabby inn. We go to our room, acting as if everything in the world is fine so we don't arouse suspicion. We gather our belongings, and then we're gone as quickly as we came. The only thing we stopped to do was to pay for our stay, which came out to be around 12,000 Ryu. A pretty hefty price, in my opinion. Luckily, we had just enough in our pockets, as well as enough for portions for five days. For one person, anyway.

So, now that we've conquered our quest – for the most part – we head out on the beaten icy road.

Some time along the way, Sasori halts without warning. He looks around, obviously checking to see if there were any spying ninjas around, and started heading off into the thin woody forest.

I decide to follow, so I don't lose him. It turns out that he was retrieving Hiduko-san, from a hiding place that no ninja could find with wits alone. He'd used a genjutsu to trap any stray travelers that came anywhere near his shell. Two were trapped in it when Sasori deactivated the jutsu. Pleadingly I gazed at him, and he nodded, giving me permission to blow them up.

Oh, those screams they uttered… Every time I hear them it sends chills up my spine. I'd made two small spiders, each landing on their face, and… well, you can imagine what I did then. It was a thrilling moment… for me, anyway.

So Sasori ended up being in that bulky Hiduko-san for a while. Once again, we didn't talk much while we traveled, which _really_ made me feel lonely. Fortunately, we made several resting stops, since we didn't have to rush to get to the Land of Snow.

"Deidara-kun," Sasori muttered my name, softly, when we pulled over once again.

"Hmm? What is it, Sasori no Danna?"

"I was wondering… why do you have… mouths… in the palms of your hands?"

Surprised, I open my hands and gaze at them, making my tongue stick itself out at me. "Well… it's my inherited kekkei genkai… I come from a family of artists, mainly potters and things like that, un."

"Oh… I see. Do they have more uses than just… infusing chakra?"

"Umm… yeah… I guess so. I don't really talk much about it, though, you know that, un."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I'm asking." Sasori snickers. I think that was the first time I ever heard him laugh.

We sit in silence for a few more moments. Then Sasori makes his move: he makes a few noises, does a few things that I can't really describe well, and the next thing I know he's out of his shell and sitting next to me. He's smiling, but it's a smile that I'd never seen him use before. I think a better word would be a big ol' smirk. It was kind of creepy, in a sense.

His hand creeps over mine. I have no clue what he's doing, but whatever it is, it's sending chills up my spine. His fingers wrap around mine, lacing them, and I smile as he wiggles closer.

So we end up sitting there, by the side of the road – thankfully in a spot where there wasn't much snow – in the darkening day, since night was approaching. I was still in my costume, since I haven't had much of a chance to change, but apparently Sasori changed in Hiduko-san.

Glancing around, I wonder if there's a cave we can stay in for the night. I murmur my subject of pondering, and Sasori sits up, looking around. He'd always been the best one at finding shelters. And, sure enough, he found one not too far away, just perfect for the two of us and a small crackling source of light and heat.

Making the fire was a little cumbersome… it kept spitting out, then snow would somehow put it out, my breath put it out, there wasn't enough kindling… After fighting time and the fire, I finally get it to start just as the full moon illuminates the sky better than the sun. I rest against the cold cave wall, having succeeded in providing a source of warmth.

After several awkward moments of silence, Sasori ponders yet another subject involving me.

"Deidara-kun."

"Yes?"

"How often do you put those mouths to use?"

"Uh… I'm not certain. Why?"

"Are you sure? I'd have thought that a little deviant like you would use them more often."

"A little deviant like me? Who's the one asking how often his partner masturbates? It's not my fault that I have this kekkei genkai, for your information, and I can use it the way I choose to use it, thank you very much, un."

Sasori chuckled at me. He's smiling a little more seductively than I had thought he was capable of, which kind of intimidated me. Just what is this puppeteer capable of?

"I was just wondering, is all." He starts creeping a little closer, crawling on all fours. "Have you ever used it on anyone else?"

"S-Sasori, you are not yourself. Who the hell are you and what the fuck did you do with Sasori?"

"Oh, but I _am_ Sasori. I can prove it to you, if you wish."

My mouth slightly open in dumbstruck surprise, my eyes search him up and down. Surely, Sasori couldn't be doing what I had dreamed of him doing, what I had wanted all this time…? Clearly he couldn't be trying to seduce me… could he? Oh, why did I have to be speechless _now_, of all times… Any other time I could come up with something, but why _now_ to be confounded?

Now Sasori is kind of sitting on me. Since my back is against the rock wall, he's sitting up as well, perched on my legs but being sure to not crush them. He weighed less than I had thought, even though I'd picked him up a few times before.

I brought my hand up to his cheek. It was softer than I anticipated. I licked the soft… skin? Would it be considered skin for Sasori, since he's a living puppet? Ah, what the hell, if it feels like skin then it is skin. All of these thoughts racing through my head, these wants and desires, they're muddling my mind and making me feel so… confused. I'd never wanted anyone more than Sasori at that moment, that much was sure.

"Sasori…" Staring into his eyes and giving in to my yearning for him, I pull him forcibly into a kiss, the first kiss I'm sure he'd ever had.

After he released, he exhaled deeply, a small smile pasted on his delicate face. He brushes my hair out of my face, and dives in by himself this time.

His warm lips felt so sensational against mine and his body pressing against me… it made me want more, oh so much more, and with each passing moment all I could think about was Sasori. I ran my fingers through his mass of reddish silk upon his head, pulling him closer to me.

My heart was pounding. I could feel myself starting to stiffen a bit, but I don't care. I'm sure that Sasori is too.

We kiss passionately, with each second becoming hotter and hotter than the last. Finally, wanting to explore the cavern that was his mouth, my tongue darts out and barely touches his bottom lip. He grunts faintly, which I take to be a small sound of slight surprise. I touch his lip again, this time harder, and he opens his doors and lets me in.

He tasted of honey to me. I couldn't get enough of him – his mouth wasn't like cedar or something, like I had expected, nor was it dry. It was just like any other human's mouth, except this one tasted better, moved better, _felt _better than any other I have sampled in my life.

I continue tasting my partner, my lover, for quite some time. Now I want more of him – and, without any warning whatsoever, I flip him onto his back and then I'm sitting on him for a change. Now I'm pulling the reigns, I'm steering the cart, I'm taking control of the beautiful situation we're caught up in.

I lower my head down and meet him once more, not allowing him to say a word. We continue like this for a little while longer, until he flips me over and he's in control again.

And so ensued our little game. We took turns in each other's wet caverns, each wanting to be in command. Eventually I gave in and I because submissive; I've always been the dominant one in relationships, and I wanted a change in this one.

In the middle of our hundredth tongue battle, Sasori stopped the fight. He then said those three little words again, those words that took my breath away so suddenly.

"Deidara-kun… I love you… I want nothing more than to be with you because you've made me… able to _feel_ again. You taste so good, you're all I've ever needed…"

He was cut short by me, placing my lips on his to shush him. I pulled back, a gentle smile plastered on my face yet again. I tilt my head up until my mouth is to his ear, sine he's on top of me, and I murmur in his ear.

"I want you too."

---

So now we're back on the road. Sasori is, once again, back in his shell. I want to blow that thing up with all I have, because it's not allowing me to gaze at the red-haired beauty. I fold my arms across my chest and mumble in complaint, barely loud enough for my partner to hear. I think he takes no notice, though, because he keeps marching through the dense snow.

"Sasori, it's cold outside."

"I know. I can feel it."

"Is there any room in your shell for two, un?"

"I don't think so. If there was, I would gladly let you in, despite the fact that Hiduko-san is pretty large."

For the thousandth time we both lapse in aching silence. I hate the cold. Note to self… wear a sweater the next time I'm assigned a mission to the Land of Snow…


	4. Epilogue All I Need Is Time

"Just hurry up, Deidara. You know I don't like to be kept waiting…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, un. Keep your shell on… I'll be back as soon as I can, just be sure to set up those traps in the mean time, okay?"

"Hai, I know the plan already, now _go,_ you brat!"

I'd heard Sasori speak to me a couple times before like that. Yeah, it hurt a little, but I'm not going to show it to my partner. They're just words, after all.

We have been together for nearly three years now. Well we've _worked_ together longer than that, but we've officially became a secretive couple about three years or so ago. None of the other Akatsuki members know, except for Leader-sama. Well, at least I _think_ they don't know… If they do then they haven't said anything so far.

As I ponder this, I'm pretty much forced to create one of my infamous clay birds. The one I made this time is used for flying – and, if need be, to transport objects in its pelican-like mouth.

Giving Sasori a kiss on his cheek, I smile and murmur a "See you later," then take off, the wind whirling my long hair everywhere.

Oh well. I don't really mind, anyway, but I had a feeling that I should have worn a warmer outfit this time around.

So here's the story: Our organization, the Akatsuki, have a total of ten members. These members are separated into pairs, and that pair is chosen by their signature techniques and skills. Then the pair is given a difficult challenge: they are assigned to capture one of the legendary tailed beasts.

Anyway, Sasori and I were assigned the One-Tailed Shukaku. Since the Tailed Beasts were traditionally sealed inside a human, we needed to find, research, and pursue that human. As I'm sure you know, that human was none other than Subaku no Gaara, the fourth Kazekage of the Land of Wind.

The wind feels so good in my face. The cool night is just perfect for a mission such as this. I couldn't have asked for a better atmosphere – it's a lot more effective to ambush a target at night, plus the cold cools you down. It's a lot better than a summer day, I'll tell you that.

I spy three guards in the distance. They must be the aerial lookout for Suna. Not very effective, if you ask me, so I decide to I wipe them out with three small spiders I modeled. The shocked expressions on their faces were ever so priceless…

So, after I took care of that pathetic lookout team, I decide to land and observe my surroundings yet again. Unfortunately, as soon as my feet touch the grainy rooftops, my target is standing mere feet away from me. It saves me the problem of finding him, but I needed a few more minutes of preparation.

Acting quickly, I jump on my bird and take to the skies. Just in time, too – he was just about to get me with that special sand I've heard about as I took off.

He follows me by using his sand in a certain way to make himself stand on it, and manipulates it so he moves in the air. A clever maneuver, indeed.

He tries getting at me again with even more sand. Thankfully I'm agile, especially in the air, so I dodge him no problem.

Now that he's within earshot, I ask him a simple question:

"How'd you know I was here, un?"

"There aren't any birds like that in this desert."

Eh, I should have known. Plus it's bright white, the largest thing in the sky, and flying all over Suna. I mentally kick myself for having one of those dumb moments, and mumble in frustration to the fact that Sasori didn't prompt me upon this.

Now we get serious. He throws a massive amount of sand in my direction, obviously borrowed from his environment, and attempts to engulf myself along with my bird inside. Thinking swiftly, I blow an opening up and escape, using up my source of transportation in the process.

Then the bastard encases my arm in sand as I fall. He crushes my arm, crippling me – to an extent – and then I notice that he'd formed some kind of a shield around himself. Thankfully, I'd prepared an owl before my arm was obliterated, so I land on that and save myself from falling to the ground and injuring myself even worse.

I got tired of this dangerous game. So I decide to make it short and sweet, and I make my special number 18 explosive, and I attempt to blow up the whole of the Village Hidden in the Sand.

But… of all the rotten luck… he uses a huge shield of sand to save the village. What a typical move for the hero. He sacrificed his energy just to stop my beautiful work of art from obliterating his precious village.

I have a plan up my sleeve, unbeknownst to him. When his sand had crushed my arm, my hand adapted to his sand and pretended that it was clay.

Finally, the fruit was ready for the picking. As Gaara fell to the ground, I caught him with the tail of my giant bird. I hurried, because I know that my partner hates to be kept waiting. It took all I had to keep from killing him.

"You took forever, Deidara-kun," Sasori greeted me with his usual note of impatience.

"My apologies, Danna, but taking care of this Jinchuuiki was more difficult than I had anticipated."

"Whatever. Let's just get back already – we don't have much time."

So we started our journey back to our wonderfully secret hideout, with my beautiful bird gliding next to us. Gaara stayed unconscious, thankfully enough, because I'm sure we wouldn't want to deal with a pissed Kazekage.

"Stop!"

I turn, wondering who the hell was ordering me around.

Some kid with a large… _thing_… on his back and purple makeup stopped us. I think he's of relation to the Kazekage – I didn't study as hard as I should've.

Next thing I know, Sasori's telling me to go on ahead and the kid is whipping out three scrolls and summoning a few dolls. They look like crude puppets, but they're not of a kind that I've seen around Sasori. They look inferior to Sasori's supreme works of art.

So I leave the scene, and I have no clue what happens then. I think the best thing to do is wait for him. After traveling on my bird for about five minutes or so, I pull over and wait. I don't have to wait long; he appears after ten or twenty minutes.

Walking in that desert heat nearly murdered me. Dragging my heavy feet in that thick slushy sand… and the heat beating down on me… It seemed to take forever to reach our hideout. But we finally reached it, coming home to the nicely dank cool air in the gigantic cave that was our hideout.

"You're late."

"So sorry, Leader-sama, but the Jinchuuiki was stronger than I thought."

"Get it ready immediately."

So then this jutsu ensues and a monsterous formation is before us: this creepy gigantic face with nine eyes (six with no pupils), a gaping fanged mouth, and a pair of chained hands situated so ten people could stand on each fingertip. My place was on the right index finger.

Three days and three nights pass with such boring inactivity. Focusing all of my chakra just into extracting my assigned Bijuu. Everyone else there, excepting Sasori, were holograms… so they all were probably nice and cozy, while I was stuck, cold and hungry, in a dingy cave.

Those seemed like the longest three days in history. The pain in my shoulder from losing my arm certainly didn't help at all. But… I had to keep a cool head. Otherwise Leader-sama would have me punished for complaining.

"Okay, you're all dismissed. But first – Deidara, Sasori, I need you to take care of our… problem outside. The groups after the finished-off Jinchuuiki must be eliminated, and there is another Jinchuuiki among them."

I turn to Itachi-san. "So, Itachi…" He narrows his eyes at me, due to the lack of a suffix at the end of his name, "Just what is this Nine-tailed Jinchuuiki of yours like?"

Itachi glared at me in silence. Pretty soon everyone else made him tell me, after irritation got the better of them.

"The first to charge at you, un? Can't you be more specific?"

And, with that, the holograms vanished, leaving me dry and attempting to wrap the thought around my head.

We didn't have to wait long. With a loud crack and a bang, the monsterous boulder barring the way in came crashing down into a mountain of rubble. Standing there was the weirdest group of people I have ever seen.

A blonde boy, clad in a vivid orange, glared at us. Behind him was an ugly pink haired girl about the same age, an old woman, and a man I've heard so many stories about: Kakashi Hatake. His mask annoyed me so… I don't know why, but it just did.

So somehow Sasori and I got into an argument about our art. Once again, he was trying to say that art lasted forever, just like his puppets. I secretly agree with him. I just used my explosives as a way to impress him because I loved him so.

"_Wake up, Gaara! _Get up and _move!_" The blonde boy started yelling at us, or more specifically, what was once Gaara and had become my seat. I was sitting on the once-breathing Kazekage.

"Naruto, I don't think he's going to get up…" The pink haired girl spoke. I smirked, acknowledging their realization.

True to Itachi's word, the blonde – Naruto – charged at us. I could tell by the chakra seeping out of him that he was indeed the carrier of the legendary Nine-tails. His eyes were red, which was nothing too surprising, but it seemed to send a wave of excitement through my body.

"Deidara-kun."

"Hmm?"

"Take the Jinchuuiki. I'll take care of the others."

And, with that, I flew away on my bird after it swallowed the Kazekage up. Enraged, the blonde did exactly what I had hoped he would. He started to follow me. With no choice left, the fabled Kakashi had to follow too.

---

"I can't believe he's gone…"

I sat there, a lump on the ground, armless, bleeding in pain, and grieving the loss of my partner. Kisame, a more caring person on the inside, sat beside me, patting my back.

"Well, it came as a sudden shock for us as well, Deidara-kun…"

"I can't believe that he's _gone._" Tears trickled delicately down my face. I don't want anything to do with anyone anymore, at this point. Now that my love was gone, there was no reason left to live. I had no arms – no means of fighting properly any longer, and no means of ever holding my consort ever again. I couldn't even hold his empty shell. Maybe, just maybe, I'll bleed to death and see him again…

Without warning, something is going though my skin at my pathetic stumps for arms. It's painful. I look up, grunting in protest, as I realize that Kakuzu is replacing my lost arms. He'd started sewing on the one arm I could retrieve, which was a kind gesture on his part. He'd also made me a new arm. It wasn't as good as my old one, but it should do.

When my arms were sewn back on, I held my hands out in front of me. My hand-mouths opened, closed, then opened again.

"I had done so much with him… with these hands…" I buried my face in them, trying as hard as I could to hold back the tears that would not stop.

Kisame shifted around a little, as if uncomfortable with the situation. I don't care if he thinks that was creepy or weird; after all, everyone knows that he and Itachi are tighter than perfectly fitting puzzle pieces.

"What's going on here?"

Said Akatsuki member arrived on the scene. He was gazing at me blankly with his Sharingan, his creepy genjutsu technique that I absolutely despised. I really don't like Itachi all that much, but I tolerated him being there.

Kisame murmured the situation after gesturing to Itachi so he could whisper in his ear. Itachi uttered a small, "Hmm," and straightened himself, brushing his Akatsuki cloak clean of nonexistent dust.

"What do I do now, Kisame-san?"

"I don't know, Deidara-kun… I know this is easier said than done, but we're going to have to move on. We can't do anything about his death, now…"

"I don't want to go on, Kisame. Don't you realize? He was my life – I depended on him, and he depended on me. We worked together as a perfect team! I don't want a replacement, because nobody will ever replace my Danna…"

"Well, you do have a replacement. Meet Tobi."

I look up. Leader's hologram was looming before me and some tall person with a strange orange mask stood before me. The one with the mask waved and said in a stupidly cheerful voice, "Hello, Deidara-senpai!"

I narrowed my eyes. This guy is going to be annoying… I can smell it in the air. He seems to radiate pure stupidity and cowardace. I don't like him.

"Leader-sama, I'm not quite ready for another partner yet, un. It's only been two days…"

"You will do as I say, Deidara. Tobi, your new partner, is a necessity for Akatsuki."

I look down, pouting. Leader leaves as quickly as he came, leaving the irritant behind.

"Senpai, you look sad."

He crouches in front of me, peering at me with just one eye hole, the right eye. I glare at him, hoping he would get the hint. He doesn't. So I stand up, step around Kisame and Tobi, and start to stalk off. Kisame starts to follow, but Itachi holds him back. Tobi, unfortunately, has no restraints whatsoever.

"Senpai, are you okay? Where are you going?"

Silence.

"Senpai?"

I swivel around, glaring at him.

"Let me make this clear to you, un. You are not going to waltz in here thinking everything is peachy keen. You are going to know your place. You are going to do as I say, un, and you are not going to be a troublesome zit. You will not bother me with unnecessary matters, and you… will… _not_… ever be who Sasori no Danna was. Don't even try, un."

And, on that note, I walked away. Tobi stood there, confounded, trying to make sense of what I just said.

I went for a ten minute walk to my favorite spot in the woods, up on a hill. I sat underneath an immense oak tree, the tree that Sasori and I had fooled underneath in the night so many times. I ran my fingers through the silky blades of grass, remembering the chilly morning dew on my back, remembering Sasori's voice as he whispered sweet nothings in my ears while he stradled me, remembering how he made me feel when we played together.

I curl up at the base of the tree, hugging my knees to my chest. Tears escape once more. I sat like this for over an hour before someone had come looking for me.

"Hey, Deidara-kun, where the fuck are you?"

I hug myself even tighter. Not Hidan. I didn't need his sailor's mouth right then.

"What the hell are you doing up here? It's getting cold out. You'll catch a fucking cold."

I say nothing in response. After a few moments, Hidan sighs and sits down next to me, a gesture that was totally out of character for our newest edition in the group.

"Nice view," Hidan murmurs after a few moments.

It really was a nice view. That was why it was one of Sasori's favorite spots – because it was so quiet and high up, and the tree provided shelter from onlookers and the weather. You could see the stars so clearly, and the sunset was so breathtaking…

"Yeah… this was one of Sasori's favorite places, un."

"Really? Never would have thought the puppet would have had a soft spot."

Funny… Hidan was definitely acting out of character. He managed a sentence without cursing. I don't say anything about it, though. Maybe he'd come to his senses for once and refrained himself from his bad habit.

"He did… Could I tell you something in you promise not to freak out or tell anyone else, un?"

"Go ahead."

"Well… this place… never mind."

"Whatever. You can tell me whatever you want, you know."

I watch the moon crawl up the darkening sky. It was, indeed, getting cold. I could see my breath and the ice starting to form on each individual blade of grass. Luckily the moon was full and illuminated the whole hillside, so we wouldn't get lost.

"To put it frankly, Hidan-san, this was our favorite place for sex."

I could see from the corner of my eye that he jumped a little, looking at the ground in mild disgust, yet trying everything he could to hide the expression. Besides that, though, he doesn't say anything.

Half an hour later, I say something to break the silence.

"Thanks for coming out here, Hidan."

He gets up, brushing his cloak off. "You're welcome. I'm going back to the hideout, now, because I have to pray to Jashin before I go to bed… Which can take hours."

"That's fine. Good night."

And, with that, he left. I stayed. I took off my jacket and shirt, feeling the cold grass on my bare skin, thinking. The salty liquid starting to fall froze on the side of my cheek.

"Sasori… it's cold. Cold I borrow Hiduko-san for just a little while and spend some time with you…?"

The only response I get is a single hoot from a snow owl and the winking of a star.

Maybe I can go on without him. But for now I just need time, the essential key to healing. Yeah, it's not going to happen overnight… it'll take weeks, months, maybe even a few years.

_But a little time is all I need._

---

The end of my little drabble.

Glad if you enjoyed it :D and thanks for taking the time to read it


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